What's up with Ultima?

[Zeromus_X]

So...what does it count as? A white magic? I've heard it counts as it's own type of magic too. So what is it? Should it go to my person with higher Mg. Power or Soul?

[DJZen]

Don't bother with it. It's a lame spell.

[DarkLadyNyara]

It should go to whoever has the most spells :D. Ultima, in DoS at least, is based on your weapon and spell levels. Spirit, intelligence and magic have no effect. If one person has sixteen spells at decent levels, Ultima becomes fairly powerful. That said, you can easily beat the game without it.

[Paul]

i had heard it was white magic? :(

[Crossblades]

So...what does it count as? A white magic? I've heard it counts as it's own type of magic too. So what is it? Should it go to my person with higher Mg. Power or Soul?

It is considered White Magic according to the DoS Strategy Guide. Yeah, give it to the person with the highest Soul and constantly abuse it to make it stronger. When I played the game, I gave it to Firion since I made him a Paladin type character

[Zeromus_X]

Well, I'm playing the NES rom (having played every other version of the game released in the U.S.), and I just wanted to make sure.

Wait a minute....*clicks*

[DarkLadyNyara]

It is considered White Magic according to the DoS Strategy Guide. Yeah, give it to the person with the highest Soul and constantly abuse it to make it stronger. When I played the game, I gave it to Firion since I made him a Paladin type character
Spirit has no effect on Ultima. At least in DoS it doesn't. It will raise spirit, but that's about it.

[Crossblades]

It is considered White Magic according to the DoS Strategy Guide. Yeah, give it to the person with the highest Soul and constantly abuse it to make it stronger. When I played the game, I gave it to Firion since I made him a Paladin type character
Spirit has no effect on Ultima. At least in DoS it doesn't. It will raise spirit, but that's about it.


It had effect when I played it

[rubah]

I think part of the problem is you can only use ultima with one person, so it's hard to compare between the characters' stats.

[DJZen]

I've done this in the NES version. Here, observe.

http://www.strizzuth.com/images/DMGcompare.GIF

I should note that DkKnights have no elemental resistances or weaknesses, and Frioniel's stats were all maxed (weapon skills and magic skills included). I even tried decreasing various stats and it had no effect. Ultima's damage is just plain screwey if you ask me.

[Sephex]

I thought I was the only person who noticed that Ultima is screwy in this game.

[rubah]

did you do it with all four characters? It'd be sorta neat and weird and sucky if each character had a bit that was turned off and leonheart had that bit turned on and when he used ultima it did like 300000awregl;ksadg;lsad dmg ;o

[Sefie1999AD]

DJZen: Wow, the damage done by Ultima is really low there. So all this fuss about unsealing Ultima and Minh sacrificing himself for a nearly useless spell? :mad: In my game of FFII DoS, Holy and Flare both did a lot more damage than Ultima even when they were on lower levels.

[DJZen]

Well they've dug up more info on the DoS version, and they've figured out that in that version Ultima is dependant on all of your stats and magic skill levels. Frankly I think that's a stupid way to do it. It makes you do too much training.

Sorry, in the FC version Ultima is just pathetic. In DoS it starts out doing a very good amount of damage, but as you level it up it doesn't do much better, while Flare and Holy become MUCH better.

[Peter_20]

i had heard it was white magic? :(What the hell is that sad smiley doing there? :D

Yes, it counts as white magic in this game.
At least I tend to raise my Spirit from using it. :p

EDIT:
Why does everybody think Ultima sucks?
ULTM 1 does deal 2000% more damage than FIRE 1, after all. :)

[Zeromus_X]

Because it does suck. In the original version, anyway.

[DJZen]

EDIT:
Why does everybody think Ultima sucks?
ULTM 1 does deal 2000% more damage than FIRE 1, after all. :)

Uhh... Take a look at those comparison screen shots. Those aren't doctored, that's how much damage the spell does at level 16.

[Peter_20]

EDIT:
Why does everybody think Ultima sucks?
ULTM 1 does deal 2000% more damage than FIRE 1, after all. :)

Uhh... Take a look at those comparison screen shots. Those aren't doctored, that's how much damage the spell does at level 16.I know, but I still think there's a difference between a 12 DMG-dealing FIRE 1 and a 212 DMG-dealing ULTM 1. :D

Basically, it rules in the beginning, but sucks in the end. :)

[Sefie1999AD]

It's not like 212 HP is much damage by the time you get Ultima anyway, and its damage doesn't go much up when it gains levels. By that time your weapons will be doing 1000+ damage to the enemies, and those spells you've already leveled up in the game will be dealing hundreds of HP worth damage. Your basic spells, such as Fire, Ice and Thunder, and also the stronger spells, like Holy and Flare, will be doing a lot more damage than Ultima. In addition, the damage done by Ultima is way less than 212 HP if you cast it on a group of enemies, probably a few dozen HP.

[Peter_20]

It's not like 212 HP is much damage by the time you get Ultima anyway, and its damage doesn't go much up when it gains levels. By that time your weapons will be doing 1000+ damage to the enemies, and those spells you've already leveled up in the game will be dealing hundreds of HP worth damage. Your basic spells, such as Fire, Ice and Thunder, and also the stronger spells, like Holy and Flare, will be doing a lot more damage than Ultima. In addition, the damage done by Ultima is way less than 212 HP if you cast it on a group of enemies, probably a few dozen HP.By the way, what about METEO 1?
It deals some hundreds of DMG to all of your party members at LV 1.
Therefore, it'd probably cause about 1000 DMG on a single person, and most likely 9999 DMG at LV 16. :D

So, METEO 1 > ULTM 16.
Pretty sad, really.

[Sefie1999AD]

You can't learn a spell called Meteo in the game. As far as I know, only the final boss casts a spell called Meteo 10, which is called Starfall X in the DoS version. It's his most powerful spell, and it does 500-1000 damage, although I think his physical attack does the most damage, about 1000-2000+ damage to a single character.

[DJZen]

As a note, the only effects in the game given Roman numerals are from items such as the Gaia Drum or using a spell book as an item in battle. This means that this effect comes from an enchanted item of some sort in the Emperor's posession.

[boys from the dwarf]

most people who try to figure out how ultima works go insane and cut their legs off with spoons. just dont try. as said above its a completely screwy spell and makes no sense. youd probly go crazy just by seeing the damage formula let alone understanding it. i doubt even gameFAQs.com has the formula.

[DJZen]

Only 2 people in the world understand Ultima. One's dead, the other went insane and nearly killed himself.

[Peter_20]

Only 2 people in the world understand Ultima. One's dead, the other went insane and nearly killed himself.Those who learn to understand Ultima will only find out they never really understood it. :D